


Challenge Accepted

by for3stspirit



Category: Detroit: Become Human
Genre: (I'll most likely be adding more later FYI), Bottom Gavin Reed, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) and OC are a minor/background relationship, F/F, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Gavin Reed's cat is named Meatloaf, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, I don't understand anything leave while you can, Laurence will get a ferret (spoiler oop), M/M, The Archive Warning might change later FYI, Tina Chen & Gavin Reed Friendship, Tina Chen is such a big lesbian, Top Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Is Bad at Feelings, case fic maybe?, depends on if I go through with my plan, expect everything to be boring actually, expect the first chapter to be highkey boring, first big fic I think?, terrible writing ahead FYI, why did i think this was a good idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-19 05:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22138936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for3stspirit/pseuds/for3stspirit
Summary: Gavin Reed is a known asshole around the department, but people would be lying if they told you he wasn't good at his job. The man even earned a challenge coin for bravery in the face of danger. He lived to work, thriving and flourishing with the homicides landing on his desk.But what does he do when given a normal, lowly, regular-officer type of case instead of an entertaining murder?What does he do when handed all sorts of assorted cases, break-ins, robberies, homicides, drug use?And what does he do when an android that hits all his kinks walks up out of nowhere and says he's to be Gavin's newest partner?
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Male Character(s), Tina Chen/ST300 Android(s), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed, reed900 - Relationship
Comments: 9
Kudos: 80





	1. Introductions All 'Round

**Author's Note:**

> !!! THIS DID NOT HAVE A BETA READER SO THERE MAY BE SOME CONFUSION/CONVENTION ERRORS !!!  
> I did my best to go over it, but as the writer I already have far more knowledge on this fic than the reader and assume everything is explained.  
> If something confuses you, please let me know and I'll see if I can clear it up in the next chapter.  
> (Irregular updates should be expected, due to university literally starting tomorrow.)

Heavy breathing filled his ears.

His heart pounded so hard he could’ve sworn he felt it beating against his rib cage, trying to break free.

His arms and legs worked like overheating pistons, shrieking in pain but refusing to stop until they died.

Objects blurred together until they were just streaks of color all around him.

Green rectangle. Brown stick. Red square. Gray human. Those were what laid before him.

He moved on instinct alone, not daring to let his thoughts kick in and create doubt. Doubt makes room for errors, and errors will get him killed.

Hands grabbed the rectangle (once in focus he could see it was a large dumpster), hoisting the body up as feet propelled it into the air, snagging the brown stick (a rusted ladder and balcony) and climbing up, leaping from there onto the edge of the red square (a brick wall that turned into a small, low building).  _ ‘Gotcha.’ _

One final leap was taken, but instead of landing on hard, unforgiving concrete, the hunter instead crashed into his prey, dropping like a boulder.

Surprisingly, the sound of bones snapping didn’t sound in the alley.

“How did you stick that landing?” Tina asked when she had managed to clamber up and onto the unidentified building. “How is he not  _ dead? _ You squished him!”

Gavin flashed his friend a grin before hoisting the handcuffed murderer onto his feet. “I like Assassin’s Creed games, sue me.” He walked the criminal to a squad car, reciting the list of rights available to the man from memory before shoving him in and waving Chris, the driver, off.

Tina was panting slightly when she caught up to him. “Were you one of those teenagers that filmed themselves doing parkour?” She snorted.

“I will neither confirm nor deny that,” Gavin chuckled, a sly twinkle in his eye all the confirmation Tina needed.

She teased him about it the whole drive back to their precinct, only letting up when Fowler walked over to Gavin’s desk, praising the detective on how quickly he closed the case, issuing only a light reprimand about jumping onto walls and dropping on people.

Gavin nodded respectfully, but when the captain went back to his office, it took all of his willpower to not roll his eyes. So what if he gave Virdo some bruises? The guy is still going to jail for killing his wife and daughter. Whining about how Gavin took him down would do Virdo no good. And the detective was young; his behavior would be written off as impulse that had yet to be curbed, excitement clouding his judgment.

He stretched his arms above his head with a small sigh before flexing his fingers and pulling up a fresh document to type up his report on. Gavin wondered if he could skip out on the parkour legally.

\------

Gavin dived to the side, releasing a few shots from his 1911 Kimber. It wasn’t his government-issued pistol, but he preferred the comfortable and familiar grip of his own weapon. He trained most often with that one, and he found it to be far more accurate and jammed less.

It might have had something to do with the fact that he spoils it as much as a grown man can spoil his personal pistol, but the truth may never be revealed.

The detective frowned when he heard the bullets hit the wood door frame and not a body; the person he was attempting to shoot had gone off the deep end, so to say. Already the deranged woman had critically injured two patrol officers (both of whom are presumably in surgery) and knocked her friend unconscious. The civilian was recovered, but not without difficulty. Yes the weapon was a semi-automatic, but each magazine could hold 15 rounds and visibly she had three backups. The woman had hosed down law enforcement, forcing them to find cover until she was vulnerable. That’s when Gavin slipped in. At this point, there was no option but to use deadly force.

His ears pricked at the sound of a switch being hit, and what seemed to be metal sliding against metal; she was reloading her weapon. Gavin darted out, pistol raised-

-Only to freeze when he saw the detonator in her hand.

She rigged her own house with  _ explosives?  _ Why wasn’t she in a mental asylum long before this point?

“Everyone out now!” Gavin screeched over his shoulder, deciding it would be better to book it than get a clear shot.

The crazed lady giggled like a child who knew they were doing something naughty and having fun, pressing the button.

While the homicidal psychopath was clearly not home ‘up there,’ she did apparently have enough sense to rig the trap so that the second floor would simply drop onto the first. Nothing really blew up; there was no boom. Just a crunching noise as whatever was supporting the ceiling finally gave way.

Gavin had to skirt around chunks of beams and assorted furniture that had already come crashing down, attempting to shield his eyes with one hand. The dust was blinding, and quickly replacing the precious air in his lungs. One of the backup officers was crying for help, a beam flattening his legs. He couldn’t remove it himself due the position he was in.

The detective swore under his breath, lifting the heavy piece of wood enough that the cop could scramble free before charging his way out the door. The shockwave of the second floor finally dropping knocked him off his feet, instinct kicking in and forcing him to roll away.

While being evaluated on a gurney in one of the waiting ambulances, Gavin found himself constantly looking back at the wrecked house. The dust was still settling when the bomb squad and SWAT team inspected what was left of the building, searching for any more traps. Once the area had been cleared, the SWAT team went back in to search for bodies.

Hardened as he was to grisly sights due to the branch he had been assigned to, Gavin couldn’t bring himself to lay eyes on the mangled body of the woman that they managed to drag free. It would have been better to leave her buried.

Later, after he returned to the precinct, Gavin was awarded a challenge coin for showing bravery in the face of extreme danger. He accepted his medallion with pride but did his best to keep his attitude professional, giving Fowler a respectful nod and Tina a small smile while she cheered very loudly on the sidelines.

\------

_ “ _ _ Historically, challenge coins were presented by unit commanders in recognition of special achievement by a member of the unit.” _

_ ‘What a joke.’ _

Gavin ignored the cat headbutting his back, thumb brushing over the surface of the little medallion in his hand. He sighed, the hand holding the gleaming award dropping onto his lap as his free one rubbed his face. He didn’t deserve this. He never did. He barely got an officer out in time; so what? So many others have died on the job protecting or helping others. They should get the coin. Not him. Not Gavin.

He didn’t deserve an award.

\------

**_Beep beep beep-_ **

Gavin groaned, rolling over and squeezing his eyes shut.

**_Beep beep beep-_ **

Could he call in sick today? He just really wanted to sleep in some more. Play hooky for once.

**_Beep beep be-_ **

Gavin smacked the top of his alarm clock with a growl, startling the russet-colored that had been staring at its owner from the foot of the bed.

“Sorry, Meatloaf,” Gavin muttered, shoving the sheets aside and walking stiffly to his wardrobe to get the day’s outfit. Some people worked to live, he lived to work. It was as simple as that. He knew that even if he was sick or injured, unless threatened with the loss of his job he was not going to stay home. There was nothing for him to do other than hang out with Meatloaf. Sure, there was Tina occasionally, but lately his friend had taken to trying to swoon the hot android receptionist who worked the front desk. Hanging out with her consisted of at least two-thirds of all their conversations revolving around Tina’s crush.

Gavin didn’t mind; he thought it was nice that she was in love with someone who seemed to be a good person. Relationships never really worked out for him, however. He’s had a couple, but those only lasted a few months. Well, not true. He had one that he thought was going pretty well, but after a little more than two years things started declining. His boyfriend began lashing out, drinking and rolling joints almost every night. Gavin had to turn him in for physical assault after he finally cut ties with the abusive partner, which resulted in the ex flinging a bottle at Gavin’s face. A brawl ensued, and his ex didn’t realize how bad of a decision he made until he was facedown on the floor in handcuffs with Gavin holding up his detective’s badge. Tina tried to convince him to go to the hospital, but the man stubbornly refused, letting the scars on his face caused by the broken glass shards heal on their own (with the assistance of antibacterial ointment). He walked into work the next day with his head high and a vibe that deflected any comments on what had happened the night before.

After that mess, Gavin refused to look for anything more than one night stands, usually happening after a night out at the bar. Tina would occasionally give him a sad look when she knew he was aching inside for someone that cared about him, and Gavin would always return it with a tight smile in a weak attempt to put some of her worries at rest.

She was hesitant at first about talking with him about Stacy, but Gavin assured her that it didn’t bother him and he wanted to hear her ramble about her crush. That and work were some of his biggest distractions.

Meatloaf biting his ankle brought Gavin back down to earth. “I’ll get you breakfast in a bit,” he said absentmindedly, pulling the rest of his shirt down and threading a belt through the loops in his jeans. He may not care for fashion, but he thought it increased his attractiveness tenfold wearing his badge on his hip.

Probably not, but he needs the self-confidence booster.

A brief glance at his phone told him it was 6:47 in the morning; he had to leave his apartment by 7:20 to make certain traffic wouldn’t cause him to be late. He was a bit of a stickler when it came to punctuation, so seeing the lieutenant come in well past noon and hungover always made him burn inside with resentment. How could Fowler risk having a drunk alcoholic out in high-risk situations?

Meatloaf jumped onto the kitchen counter and lashed out at Gavin’s arm with a hiss, clearly losing patience. The human grumbled a “Fine, calm down!” under his breath, pouring some dry cat food into the empty bowl and wrinkling his nose at the coffee pot. If he left now, he could probably get a decent coffee and still be on time. Early, even. That would be preferable.

“Sorry Meatloaf, Dad has to take off,” Gavin apologized, the cat’s ears flicking once the only sign that he might have understood his owner. “I’ll be back around dinnertime probably, okay?” He crouched down to stroke the lean feline, filling another dish that was slightly smaller with more cat food, just in case Meatloaf got hungry later.

The cat, of course, didn’t care what his human was planning on doing. His main concern was whether or not he could find a warm sunbeam later.

_ ‘Ungrateful,’ _ Gavin thought to himself, snorting. He shrugged his signature leather jacket on and shoved his feet into his shoes, carefully shutting the door behind him so as to not disturb his neighbor. Mrs. Hammond was a kind, if not a little eccentric soul, and he didn’t want to wake her up by slamming the door on his way out. She would occasionally invite him over for a glass of whiskey, or two or three. They didn’t have to drive anywhere, they were allowed to get drunk after Gavin’s shift. Mrs. Hammond had been the captain of her SWAT team before retiring, so they often reminisced about old cases together.

Gavin smiled to himself as he unlocked his car and slipped inside, checking his wallet briefly to make sure he had cash for a large coffee. Maybe he could have another drink later that night. It’d be good for him.

“Gavin Reed actually doing some self-care and getting some TLC?” He scoffed to himself as he pulled out of the parking lot, taking a slight detour from his usual route to work so he could pull through the Starbucks drive-thru. “When we don’t have to worry about climate change, maybe.” He briefly told the barista what he wanted: a regular latte, nothing fancy other than an additional two shots. And make them strong espresso. After grabbing his drink from the last window and driving back out to the precinct, his phone buzzed with a text. He knew from a fairly personal experience what even  _ glancing _ at his phone could do while at the wheel, so he opted to wait until he was parked and the car was turned off near the entrance of the DPD.

**[Cap. Fowler]**

**> New case on your desk. Not homicide, something smaller, but all the reg. officers are busy.**

**_Read at 7:27 AM_ **

Gavin groaned, slamming his head back against the headrest attached to his seat. Great. Probably a break-in or something stupid like that. He worked in  _ homicide; _ why did he have to deal with this?

**[GR]**

**> Omw**

**_Sent at 7:28 PM_ **

That should satisfy the man. Gavin unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car while simultaneously slipping his phone into his back pocket, smiling when he saw Tina rushing up to him from where she had just parked a few spaces away.

“Do you think androids can drink coffee?” Was the first thing that flew out of her mouth.

Gavin couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Why don’t you ask someone who’s actually an android, or has one as a partner?” He snorted. “I have no idea. Probably not? They might just be able to have thirium.”

Tina frowned; apparently she hadn’t considered that before also hitting the cafe. “Dang.” She looked down at the coffees in her hands. “If she can’t have or doesn’t want hers, do you want it?”

“Depends,” Gavin replied, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back against his car and folded his arms over his chest. His chin was lifted as if this was some kind of serious drug deal. “What is it?”

“Well, I don’t know what she likes,” Tina explained, “so I just went with a regular latte. I figured if she wanted chocolate or something I could go back and pay for a pump, but you can’t really take it out once it’s in there, y’know?”

Gavin chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’ll take it. Don’t feel bad if she rejects it; she probably wouldn’t want it to go to waste. But at the same time, if she like-likes you back…” He wiggled his eyebrows, jumping out of the way of a kick aimed at his calf. “Hey!”

“‘Like-like’?” Tina scoffed, falling in by his side as they walked to the precinct together. “We aren’t twelve!”

“You sure act like it sometimes,” Gavin retorted.

“Wait, you already have a coffee?” His friend said suddenly in surprise, staring at his occupied hand. Gavin wasn’t sure if this was a poor attempt at changing the conversation or if she honestly did not see it before when he got out of his car.

“I’ve literally been holding it this entire time. Are you going blind? Do you have no situational awareness?” Gavin teased, elbowing Tina lightly.

“I was distracted okay!” She squawked, nudging him back. “I’m allowed to be distracted!”

“Looking at a cat in an alleyway could result in you getting shot,” Gavin said dryly as he presented his badge to the receptionist first, giving her a small nod when she waved him on. It was standard procedure, despite him having worked at the precinct for years. His face was a common sight, and it still annoyed him that he had to show proof that  _ yes, _ he does in fact work here, and  _ yes, _ he is in fact allowed through those glass doors.

“Heard you got a break-in,” Chris greeted him from his desk, glancing up as Gavin walked past.

Gavin rubbed the scar across his nose with a loud sigh. “Seriously? That’s what it is?”

“Dunno,” Chris shrugged, going back to typing. “That’s just what I heard.”

The detective grumbled under his breath about how unfair it was for someone with his experience and job position to have to deal with things like break-ins and burglaries.  _ ‘I must be psychic,’ _ he thought sarcastically as he flipped through the manila folder on his desk. His previous guess in the car had been correct; someone attempted to rob a jewelry store. It sold Rolex watches too; the would-be robber was probably going after some of those. From what Gavin’s heard, Rolexes were a dream watch. Almost literally, because anyone with common sense wouldn’t waste a couple thousand minimum on a watch. Just use a phone, idiots. Smack it onto your wrist and stare at it if you need to.

He slowly sipped his coffee, eyes narrowed as he scanned the documents, absorbing what little information he could get before going out to the crime scene and investigating for himself. Person was taking a rookie on tour around the bullpen, pointing at Gavin as they hung around the edge of the area respectfully. “See him?” She said to the new cop, who looked fairly nervous at being around so many others who were far more experienced than him. “That’s Detective Reed. He’s an ass who’s addicted to caffeine, yes, but he had a first day too. He was nervous and scared he’d mess up royally, just like you. But over time he’s hardened to life as a blue and hardly anything phases him now.”

“Spreading rumors about me already?” Gavin greeted the FTO, draining the last of his latte and throwing it casually in the bin beside her.

“They aren’t rumors if they’re true,” Person defended. “Was that thing full when you came in?”

Gavin shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. He came in to work early, he was allowed to take a minute to chat. “Nah, not really. Drank a bit on my drive over.”

Person shook her head before gesturing to the ball of anxiety standing beside her. “This is Laurence, he’s just recently graduated and I’m his assigned field training officer.”

Gavin gave Laurence a polite nod. “Fresh meat, eh?” He chuckled at the look of fear that passed over the younger man’s face. “Ah, calm down. You’ll do just fine with Person leading you around. Remember that she’s your lifeline; go to her when you need immediate help.” He gestured around to the various desks. “She won’t be around forever. You’ll have to switch FTO’s eventually, but you’ll get used to it. Maybe you’ll click with one of them. And don’t worry about having to deal with high-speed chases and dramatic murder scenes right off the bat, no, that stuff usually comes after you have some experience under your belt. You’ll be mostly stuck with DUIs, taking reports on missing cars, patrolling a certain area… that sort of thing.” He gave Laurence a hearty clap on the shoulder as he passed to head back out to his car. “Just try to not faint from nervousness.”

Tina was lounging around outside the entrance, snagging Gavin’s sleeve as he walked past. “Hey, got a sec?”

Gavin gave her a quizzical look before glancing at his phone. “You’re gonna have to make it snappy. I’m due to inspect a break-in at some prestigious jewelry store.”

“So she said that she couldn’t drink it because it had to be thirium with like a bit of coffee mixed in I think a max of one shot or something but she also said that she’d take it and just mix it with her thirium and drink it that way and thanked me and just oh my God Gavin I think she likes me!” Tina spilled in a rush before shoving him away. “Alright, I’m good, go hunt down the pearl necklace thief!”

Gavin tossed her a look over his shoulder, but managed to get to his car and onto the road without any more distractions. It was a roughly twenty minute drive to the store, and he could see forensics already dusting away at the shattered glass and tables when he pulled up to the curb.

“Good morning, Detective,” the reporting officer said after Gavin flashed his badge. “The owner reported the break-in at about six-thirty this morning, saying that upon a brief inspection he could see that the window was broken but nothing had been stolen that he could see immediately.”

Gavin hummed, stepping around the miniature knives and leaving the CSU to do the dirty work. So someone broke in from the outside, according to the direction of the shrapnel. Some edges were smooth; the would-be robber could have broken some of the spikes off to make a safer grip for their hands. Window shattered on a side wall; the criminal didn’t want their crime to be obvious, but either they’re inexperienced with how to break in to fancy stores that have alarms for things like broken windows, or they’re leaving a message.

He meandered around the area, looking in all the glass cases. Everything on display seemed to be intact. The glass was scratched where fragments of the window had struck it, but was otherwise fine.

Gavin looked up, scanning for the owner. He soon found the man and his wife standing by the RO, most likely either being questioned or having just finished an interview.

He hated having to talk to people like this, when it’s directly after a tragic event or when multiple people had already pressed them for answers. It was worse when both combined. But Gavin had a job to do, and he’d be damned if he didn’t do it.

“Morning, Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds,” he said. “Mind if I ask a few quick questions?”

“Go ahead,” Mr. Reynolds said with a tired wave of his hand. The man looked like he hadn’t slept at all last night. “Though I’m afraid I don’t know much about the matter at hand.”

“Anything you can give me would be extremely helpful,” Gavin said, forcing a small smile to twitch at the corners of his mouth. Gotta play nice. He can grouse later. “Did you have an alarm set in place that alerted you to the break-in?”

Mr. Reynolds nodded, then shook his head with a frown. “I did, yes, and it’s worked just fine in the past, but I was never told about the matter until I came in today early as usual to make sure everything was in order.”

_ ‘Alarm was either deactivated or broken,’ _ Gavin wrote on a small notepad. “Can you show me the system?”

The store owner led Gavin to one of the back rooms while his wife looked through the more secure compartments. “This was the first thing I checked after calling nine-one-one. Everything seems to be working just fine. Maybe there was a hiccup in the system?”

“Maybe,” Gavin echoed, jotting down another note.  _ ‘Alarm system working fine, most likely deactivated before entering and reactivated before exiting.’ _

“Kyle, my raven is gone!” Mrs. Reynolds called from the main room of the store.

Both men jogged out to find the missus. “Your raven? Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry!” Kyle cried, immediately taking his wife in his arms.

The woman sobbed openly, lightly grasping her husband’s shoulders. “It was my favorite piece, too! And it’s gone!”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Gavin interrupted, trying to keep his voice level, “what is this raven that has apparently been stolen?”

“It was a bird carved out of a large piece of black opal,” Kyle explained, still shushing his wife gently. “Extremely expensive, with ruby eyes and diamond talons. I gave it to her on our wedding day because she loves ravens, and it took a lot of convincing to keep her from wearing it constantly. I didn’t want strangers to try to steal it off of Cheryl.”

Gavin marked down the new development. “Have you done a full sweep yet of what’s left?”

Kyle shook his head. “My bodyguard Romero did an inventory check, but Cheryl and I were going to each do one as well just to be thorough. I told her to start looking while I showed you the alarm system.”

The detective clicked his tongue, drumming his fingers on his arm. “Well, I’ll report that this turned from a regular break-in to robbery. Do you have any pictures of the raven?”

Cheryl pulled up her phone and showed them to Gavin; she had taken multiple to show off her jewelry when she couldn’t wear the real thing. It was a brooch, surprisingly large with a wingspan matching almost the length of a dollar bill. It looked like someone had plucked the Northern Lights out of the sky and compressed it into a stone.

Gavin gave Cheryl his work email so she could send the pictures to him, along with a list of the other stolen items if they found any missing. He checked with the forensics team, disappointed but not surprised to hear that there were no fingerprints other than a couple of the owners’. Looks like his burglar was playing hard to get.

He drove back to work after thanking the couple for their cooperation, thinking about what the hell he was going to do now. It was still early in the day; he couldn’t exactly play hooky or try to pawn off his case to someone else and go back to solving homicides.

When he got back, Gavin could see Connor talking to the new kid. What was his name again? Laurence, right. Well, he seems considerably less stressed now. Guess it helps having every social function built into you when it comes to engaging with people. Gavin couldn’t care less about socializing. At the moment, he just wanted to scrape up some kind of lead.

He was scanning through older files on jewelry thieves and reviewing evidence when footsteps approached his desk. No big deal, people walk by every now and then. What made it irritating was the fact that the sound stopped right in front of him, the owner clearly waiting to be addressed. Whoever it was could stand there all day for all Gavin cared.

“Detective Reed?”

Gavin looked up, not recognizing the voice and startling slightly at the sight before him. “Who the-?”

It was an android, noticeably taller than Connor yet it shared almost every physical feature of him. Eyes an unnatural mix of gray and icy blue looked down impassively at him. His chest was broader and his shoulders wider; he had a built frame compared to Connor’s more average body type. It even had that same fringe, but the voice was off. “I am RK900. I was assigned to you as your partner.”


	2. 'Ight Imma Head Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's much-anticipated reaction to Connor 2: Electric Boogalo, and an unwelcome case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! HUGE SHOUTOUT TO @DeviantAlicee (both on AO3 with some amazing fics and on Tumblr) FOR BETA READING THIS CHAPTER! Y'ALL WOULD BE STUCK WITH SOME BORING DIRTY SHIT IF SHE DIDN'T COME ALONG AND OFFER TO SIFT THROUGH AND HELP REWORD SOME THINGS AND CORRECT ERRORS !!!  
> (wdym is that a meme for a title)

“No. Not happening.” Gavin shook his head in disbelief. Where were the formalities? The whole, “hey this is your new partner, here’s why” schpiel? RK900; the model didn’t ring any bells. Sure, Gavin didn’t keep up with every new android that was produced, but he should at least have been able to recall some fuzzy memory about it if he heard or read about this new ‘droid somewhere. Unless… Was this another unit kept away from the public eye like Connor once was? That was his best guess as of yet. 900 did come after 800, after all.

So if Connor is designed to be a detective… then what was this thing designed for? It looked a little too serious for this line of work. All the other androids had a much more approachable look on their face. Even Connor does; hell, he knocked Gavin out in the evidence room that one time. He came around to Allen waking him up to which he had a less than subtle gay panic attack. But, he likes to think that he hid it well. What? Allen was hot! Leave him be.

Alright, maybe he was feeling lonely again at the time and Allen was very,  _ very _ close. But a man is allowed to admire another man’s appearance, even if the first man is flat on his back groaning with a massive headache that forced him to be sent home for the rest of the day.

“I’m afraid neither of us have a say in the matter,” the RK900 said calmly. “I have passed all exams required to be an officer of the law, and have the procedures for law enforcement and rules and regulations for Michigan downloaded. I have been tested on those subjects as well, if the possibility of my incompetence bothered you.”

“What are you supposed to be?” Gavin snapped, ignoring everything the android said and getting right to the point. He pushed himself out of his chair as he glared at his new ‘partner’. 

The android was a good five or so inches taller than the detective, but that didn’t stop him from frothing with rage. “Nobody’s heard anything about Connor’s model before he waltzed up like he owned the place. And we were  _ still _ kept in the dark! But back then there was the excuse of Cyberlife helping us out with our little deviant problem that turned into a revolution. Now that it’s won and over, what’s your excuse, hm? Are you here to outshine me and send me packing? Prove my loyalty? Make sure I don’t get into trouble?” With every question he was growing more and more aggressive, his posture automatically trying to make him look as big as possible. Gavin’s shoulders rose, his back stiffening and chest swelling with air.  _ “Why are you here?” _

“I was activated and told that I am no longer needed to serve my original purpose, and was sent to the Detroit Police Department to put my abilities to use. I will be tested in the field over the course of a year, and if my results prove to be unsatisfactory, I will be taken back to Cyberlife to be decommissioned so the engineers can find the source of my errors.” The RK900 unit spoke with such a flat empty tone that it made an involuntary shiver spark through Gavin’s spine. Who talks about the possibility of their own death like that? And so  _ casually? _

“Isn’t that, like, murder or something?” Gavin huffed, crossing his arms. He didn’t care whether or not this walking tank was sent to the scrapheap, he just didn’t want to be responsible for it. If he really did have to be partnered with it, Gavin was not willing to be left holding the bag.

“You are correct to a certain degree, Detective Reed,” the android agreed. “As almost every android has deviated, they are recognized to be equal to humans and any crime they commit or have committed against them will be counted accordingly to your species’. However, I was created to be more of an arsenal of weapons than to mimic human lifeforms. Therefore I am excluded from that law.”

_ ‘Damn. You get murdered and no one bats an eye,’ _ Gavin thought, eyes narrowed less in anger and more in observation now.  _ ‘That isn’t the justice I’ve been hired to serve.’ _ “So you’re not a deviant, then,” he said aloud instead. His sentence was worded as a statement on purpose; the detective had learned over his years of service that acting like you already know what someone did or who they are will often have them confessing a lot easier than if you were to constantly guess.

“Also correct,” RK900 replied, head dipping slightly in acknowledgment. At least the human it was going to be forced to work with wasn’t a complete fool. “I, like my predecessor, was programmed to not succumb to the virus like your more common model appears to have encountered. The software instabilities they experience blocks all rational code, resulting in them being no more helpful than a human.”

_ Ouch.  _ Gavin wouldn’t have minded the shared resentment of supposedly working together (that would’ve minimized contact to a much more preferable level) if he wasn’t also proud of the skills that made him a detective in the first place. 

“And just what do you mean by that last statement?” He snapped, becoming  _ this _ close to actually lunging at the android and forsaking his job all because he had worked his ass off for the role that this God damned android could just waltz in and get.

“I mean exactly what I said.” The RK900 unit straightened its jacket before turning on its heel. “Not that I am required to inform you of my every movement, but I will be requesting a position change with your captain. The SWAT team will be far more suitable for my skillset.”

Gavin ground his teeth, fists clenching by his thighs. Even Connor would be a better partner than this snobbish…  _ thing. _ This refrigerator. Wait, it can’t store food.  _ Microwave. _ No that doesn’t work either…. He’ll have to come up with something good later. 

But at the very least Connor knew when to be diplomatic and when to threaten people. That RK900 seemed stuck on Asshole Mode.

A very loud, pronounced slurping behind him dragged the detective’s attention away from the android, eyes rolling from habit after he saw Tina leaning against a desk drinking her coffee. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Just a bit,” Tina shrugged with a smile. “I could hear you in the breakroom. I think you gave the new kid a heart attack.”

“Well, life around here isn’t exactly kittens and rainbows twenty-four-seven,” Gavin grumbled, picking up the case file on the Reynold’s robbery so he didn’t have to look at her. “He’s gonna have to learn that sooner or later.”

“Connor had to take him out patrolling to get Laurence’s mind off of your yelling!” Tina chastised. “You could have at least  _ tried _ to figure out why there’s a Terminator assigned to you.”

A convenient text sent to Gavin’s phone allowed him to deflect her rebuke.

**[Cap. Fowler]**

**> Office now. Forgot to tell you something before you left for the break-in.**

**_Read at 9:43 AM_ **

God damn it.

“Boss wants me.” Gavin heaved a very loud and heavy sigh, trying to not crush the papers in his hand. “See you later.”

“At your funeral!” Tina called cheerfully with a little wave before leaving the bullpen.

Gavin was so,  _ oh so tempted _ to flip her the bird, but he couldn’t exactly do that when he knew his captain was staring at him through the glass walls of his office. Instead, he swallowed down any comeback he could have delivered and stoically marched up the stairs to Fowler’s glass box.

He hated this office so much. No, scrap that, he fucking _ despised _ it. There was no privacy. You do anything and everyone below can see you. You get reprimanded for something? The officers below are reading Fowler’s lips. They know. They know what’s being yelled and they know why. Why couldn’t he just… have normal walls? Maybe, y’know,  _ not _ made out of glass?

“Yes, Captain?” Gavin asked evenly after closing the door behind him. He felt too exposed here, and he had more protection in this quarantine chamber than he did at his own desk.

“It seems you and RK900 have gotten off to a bit of a rough start,” Fowler stated bluntly, weaving his fingers together and resting his chin on them, elbows propped up on the desk. “I forgot to introduce you two more formally. I know this is out of our normal procedures, Gavin-”

“With all due respect, Captain,” Gavin growled between clenched teeth, “that sentence was utter  _ bullshit. _ We don’t need Cyberlife sticking their noses into our business anymore now that the revolution is done and over with, and since they don’t have that as an excuse anymore, why is this fuckin’ thing claiming to be my new partner?”

Fowler raised his hand in warning, eyeing the detective carefully. “I am not in the mood for your interjections today, Reed. I will discuss the matter more extensively with you later, when we can have a bit more privacy and not have everything on display for the enjoyment of the general collection of my officers.” He paused for a moment, eyes never leaving where they were scrutinizing Gavin before picking up where he left off before the detective had the chance to butt in. 

“As I was saying before you decided to stick in your own comments, this is far out of what I would consider ‘normal’ when it comes to hiring and putting partners together. But, I am forced to make an exception.”

“What’s so sensitive you can’t tell me now?” Gavin argued. “What the hell is this thing? Connor 2: Electric Boogaloo? Terminator but real? It called itself ‘an arsenal of weapons’; so it’s a walking gun safe?”

“I will let you know momentarily, Gavin, now calm down!” Fowler barked. “RK900, go find Connor. He’ll show you around the place a bit and tell you about the people working here.”

The android nodded its head once respectfully before walking out of the office silently. For something that big, Gavin was a little disturbed that there was no noise made by its footsteps.

“Come with me, son,” Fowler said quietly once he was sure the precinct’s newest android was out of eyesight. He pushed himself up from his desk and led the way out of his office and down to the archive rooms.

“It’s a very complicated matter,” he sighed, unlocking a random empty room and barring the door behind them. “Do you remember when Connor ran out and freed hundreds of androids from the local Cyberlife tower?”

“Yeah,” Gavin said slowly. “That was the day he knocked me out, I think.”

Fowler nodded. “Everyone was on edge when it came to androids for a few days after that, but once President Warren confirmed that they have a status equal to humans and are recognized as sentient beings, people started to calm down for the most part. The drama was over, the final vote was cast, everything was done and finished. Being pissy about the matter wouldn’t do anyone any good.” 

He looked very pointedly at Gavin before continuing. “Connor was convinced that other androids were still left in the tower somewhere, so I sent the SWAT team in with him to find out if there are any others there. It would be illegal for Cyberlife to sell them as that would be considered slavery, and it would  _ also _ be illegal for the company to just pack up and leave any androids there in the dark. They didn’t exactly have a choice, so we let ourselves in and started combing the place for more androids.”

Gavin found himself, for once in his life, with nothing to say. So, he stayed quiet and allowed his captain to continue. 

“We found some, even managed to get them to deviate and send them to Jericho where Markus - I think his name was - could explain matters to them. Cyberlife were very adamant that we don’t go into a certain room because there were supposedly ‘sensitive materials’ in there and experiments that needed to be in a severely controlled area.” The captain rubbed the back of his neck. “We forced our way in after hacking their camera recordings for that room and discovering that the experiments were autopsies of the broken deviants we were told to sent back after Connor found them.”

“That’s how you found the RK900 unit,” Gavin concluded. “It was stuffed away in there, wasn’t it?”

Fowler nodded, not seeming to mind the interjection this time. “They admitted to having planned on making more of that line; it was basically the battle-hardened version of Connor. Cyberlife was going to send that specific android to the US military for testing after ‘experimenting and determining it to be ready for a field-test.’ We still don’t know what they really did, but that doesn’t matter right now.”

“It told me earlier that if it didn’t give satisfactory results by the end of the year it was going to be destroyed,” Gavin said carefully. “What’s all that about?”

“I was getting there,” Fowler replied with an irritable but tired wave of his hand. “It was due to be scrapped right as we got there, which is why they tried to hold us off. It was going to be ripped up until it was no longer recognizable as having once been a fully-functioning android.” The captain looked uncharacteristically solomon, but just for a brief moment before his usual steely gaze returned. “Cyberlife had some good lawyers and really I only pursued the matter because of Connor’s pleading and the fact that the action would have been considered murder of the highest degree, as it  _ was _ awake and the engineers showed no signs of planning on sending it into stasis.”

“Jesus Christ,” Gavin mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Part of him was disgusted that actual human beings, y’know with their supposed  _ humanity _ and all, would do such a thing, whereas the other part of him was trying to imagine Connor pleading like a puppy wanting a treat. No, he’s seen that deviant in action one too many times for his brain to be convinced that actually happened. 

“Alright, so obviously you won the case and now we have it. But only for a year, or is that its old programming talking?”

“No, it’s not.” Fowler looked like he aged twenty years just by discussing the matter of Gavin’s sudden partner. “Cyberlife wheedled their way into an agreement with the judge: we’d take in their one RK900 model and see if it works and can be considered ‘stable’ enough to be a part of society. If not, it has to be shipped back and the company can do whatever they want. It’s like throwing a serial killer with multiple other offenses back out. If he keeps killing, he gets the electric chair. At least, that’s what we think the reasoning behind it is.”

“Why me?” Gavin finally asked, crossing his arms. His foot hadn’t stopped tapping out of habit the moment Fowler locked the door and he tried to hide it by shifting his weight to either leg. Some people found it annoying and he didn’t want to piss off his captain. “Out of all the people here, why did you pair that gun safe with me?”

“Because I had no idea what to do after we got the official statement back and this android landed on my doorstep!” Fowler yelled. “I did it because I would’ve been seen as a hypocrite otherwise. Because Connor wouldn’t stop getting on my ass about it and because walking away meant Cyberlife could do whatever the hell they wanted with it! They could’ve made it into a literal Terminator instead of killing it! I didn’t want to just dump it on some officer that either was too inexperienced or would have a heart attack just by looking at it, so you were the last option I had.”

Once again, he momentarily paused, but this time Gavin knew it was to compose his quickly dwindling temper. “ I know, I know, it’s a shitty deal. But it’s only for a year. Maybe even less if it gets shot or something on the job. We were told we couldn’t bring it to some regular repair shop set up for androids because everyone is trying to keep the press away from this new model, especially if we just end up putting it down at the end of the year. I’m sorry, Gavin, but my hands are tied and you’re going to have to make do.” He unlocked the door and left without giving his detective a direct dismissal or even a simple ‘goodbye'.

_ ‘Asshole,’ _ Gavin snorted to himself, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. A lot of information to process and he needed more coffee before he was willing to tango with this new partner of his.

A sudden vibration on his ass startled him out of his fairly relaxed position, calming down after he realized it was just his phone getting another notification.

_ ‘Get your shit together, Gavin,’ _ he scolded himself inwardly, unlocking his phone with a small smile at the familiar sight of his lock screen. Meatloaf was being a model as usual, draped over the back of the couch in a spine-snapping position while high on weed. That was probably the first and last time Gavin gave him catnip.

**[Lesbianlo]**

**> Where r u**

**> That RK900 you’re partnered with?? Yeah it’s looking for Connor**

**> But Connor isn’t here**

**> He’s out with Laurence patrolling**

**> COME BACK**

**_Read at 10:21 AM_ **

Oh. Gavin kind of forgot to tell Fowler that Connor wasn’t anywhere nearby for the RK900 to find.

Shit.

**[GR]**

**> Calm the calamity that is your mammaries woman, I’m coming**

**> Where are you guys?**

**_Read at 10:22 AM_ **

Gavin ripped open the heavy door of the archive room, meant to be a solid barrier incase of emergencies such as psychopaths trying to harm people. It took a considerable amount of muscle to yank it away from the door frame and Gavin was wondering if he just had to pull on it for an hour every day to get in a decent workout.

**[Lesbianlo]**

**> Breakroom**

**> Requesting backup**

**> Pls I’m lowkey creeped out he’s just standing there**

**_Read at 10:22 AM_ **

_ ‘Gavin Reed to the rescue. Again,’ _ he thought sarcastically, jogging up the stairs and down the hallway to get to Tina’s side.

The small woman was lecturing the RK900 unit on something when he stepped into the breakroom, her mouth immediately snapping shut when she spotted her friend. “Thank God you’re finally here!” Tina muttered out of the side of her mouth. “Explain to this guy that he can’t exactly follow Fowler’s orders to the letter at the moment!”

Gavin sighed, but his talk with the precinct’s captain left him feeling a little sympathetic for the sentient gun safe. It wasn’t its fault that it landed here. Doesn’t mean he has to be happy about the arrangement, though. “Look, RK, Connor isn’t-”

“There are three known RK models,” RK900 interrupted, almost glaring down at Gavin. ‘Almost’ because glaring is something only deviants could do as it simulated emotion that androids still attached to their original programming couldn’t feel. But then again, Gavin was beginning to think that its face was just stuck like that, didn’t matter who it was regarding.

“The RK200, known as Markus to the public, the RK800, known as Connor, and the RK900. My model. I request that you specify which line you are referring to.”

Cocky, but that’s fine, this is fine, Gavin can control his new flush of anger and  _ not _ punch this thing’s face and break his fist, all the while losing his job in the process.  _ “Fine,” _ he hissed. “Look,  _ RK900,  _ Connor isn’t here right now. I know Fowler told you find him so he can take you on a fun little tour of the place, but I think he’s out patrolling or something with the new kid. Apparently our little spat earlier freaked him the fuck out.”

“Captain Fowler told me to locate Connor,” RK900 insisted. “I am to obey the commands given to me by my superiors unless told otherwise by the one who gave me the order or a more powerful figure.”

Gavin opened his mouth and raised a finger, ready to vent his spleen when Goody Mister ‘I Saved My Brother From A Horrendous Death’ and Laurence walked in, stopping in their tracks when they saw the pair. 

“Well, I guess you can fulfill your mission now,” Gavin said icily, waving at Connor. “By all means, do go ahead and tour the facility. Some of us have actual work to do.” He shoved past the android, purposefully shoulder-checking him as he stormed to his desk. He had forgotten to take care of the morning’s report in all the confusion. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Gavin could see Connor offering his hand for an interface and the RK900 refusing it, but the human was more focused on getting this paperwork out of the way. So some stupid fucking stone raven or whatever got taken. Give this case to someone with time to waste! His skills were being put to no good use here!

He slouched in his chair with a small snarl, arms crossed as he tried to burn a hole through his monitor with his furious stare alone. Why did he have to write so much? It’s not that Gavin didn’t like writing, he would sometimes jot down little stories when bored. But this specific kind of writing was just a pain in the ass that he could do very well without.

Well, he could. His job couldn’t.

The detective begrudgingly slogged through the reports, doing his best to ignore the other officers that were milling around the bullpen. Some were whispering amongst themselves whereas others were blatantly staring at him. Bastards probably though they were being subtle about it too.’

Just because he was focused on getting down as many specific details as possible on the crime scene, that didn’t mean that he was deaf or blind and eventually, he had enough. 

He got up to promptly tell everyone to fuck off and do their job when Tina interrupted, mumbling a hasty, “C’mon I want to show you this cat video” and pulling him out the side door into the adjacent alley before he had the chance to protest.

Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle when Tina hit ‘play’ on the supposed cat video, pressing his back to the cold brick wall and letting his chin drop to his chest. Of course she would pick the song It’s Alright by Mother Mother. She knew the power it had over him.

“Thanks,” he whispered with a small, grateful smile flashed her way. Tina simply nodded with her own understanding grin.

It was years ago, back when Gavin was still pretty new to the force and Tina was thinking about going to the police academy. Gavin had come home to their shared apartment upset about work and how some of the older officers were treating him. They apparently thought that because he had next to no experience, he was useless and should be berated and put down constantly.

Tina listened with a sympathetic ear and let him go to his room to listen to some music in peace while she cooked up some lasagna to try to lift his spirits at least a little. When she knocked and let herself in to let Gavin know about the meal plan, she found him completely relaxed on his bed with It’s Alright playing on loop. There was something about the beat and lyrics combined that just instantly put any negative emotion he had to rest and Tina’s used it a few times throughout their careers to keep him from breaking.

Each time she watched Gavin’s temper calm down to a simmer, she couldn’t help but believe that music really was magic. What else could it be?

After the song finished, Gavin gave a small flick of his head towards the building and they filed back in without saying a word. Thankfully, the rest of the cops on duty realized what had gone down and were busying themselves with various little tasks, sheepishly avoiding looking at the pair directly. Tina gave her friend’s arm a small, encouraging pat before heading out to the front of the precinct to start her patrol shift now that Connor and Laurence were back.

Gavin had hardly sent his completed report in when the RK900 came striding over, placing a new manila folder down in front of its partner. “We have a new case.”

“I can see that,” Gavin said slowly, his muscles tense with unease as he watched the android. It had put the files down so calmly that he couldn’t help but wonder how close the machine was to killing him. A reasonable fear, considering their history. “Is that all you’re going to tell me about it?”

“I do believe that, as you are not wearing glasses or contacts, you are perfectly capable of reading the reports for yourself,” the RK900 replied. Its tone somehow brooked no room for arguments. “Captain Fowler has requested that we drive out to the scene immediately.”

That piqued Gavin’s interest enough that he flipped the cover over and started looking at what little information they had gathered from the call. “Homicide?” He tried not to sound _ too  _ hopeful; no one should be glad that they get to deal with murders, but sociopaths get a little leeway.

“Incorrect, Detective Reed. This appears to be another break-in, much like your current case.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed immediately with suspicion. He didn’t like that it had access to what he was currently working on, even if it was sort of necessary due to their impromptu partnership. 

“Well, I got no leads so far on that one. Why not open another case?” He picked up the file, gave it a once-over look of disgust, and dropped them back onto his desk with a sharp smacking sound. “Not like I’m, y’know, a  _ homicide detective  _ who should be investigating, I don’t know, _ homicides.” _

“We are given a case and are required to close it,” RK900 said brusquely, brushing imaginary dust off of its pressed white jacket before walking past Gavin. “I will be waiting in a police cruiser near the entrance. It should not take you long to join me.”

“It shouldn’t take you long to join me,” Gavin pettily mimicked, making a face as he swiped up the papers and closed his monitor. “Fuck that thing. Can’t believe I have to put up with it for a whole year.”

Connor, who was standing nearby at the lieutenant’s desk, gave the detective a remprimadive glare. “Be careful of what you say, Gavin. You might end up dead in an alley by one of our hands.”

“If it isn’t a deviant, why are you referring to it as a ‘he’?” Gavin grumbled, not really in the mood for an argument but too prideful to simply back down.

“Because  _ he,” _ Connor growled with a very heavy emphasis on the masculine pronoun, “is a recognized individual by the government and deserves to be treated with the same respect the rest of the deviants and humans get. Do us all a favor and learn some basic manners.”

Gavin curled his lip at the android but stormed off without another word. It was too early for this. Maybe he can head back to Starbucks in his personal car after the investigation and get another coffee, probably a sandwich too. He wasn’t exactly willing to risk insults based on his profession at the moment.

He paused by the squad car, debating whether or not he should point out the fact that the RK900 was still in the driver’s seat, where Gavin had been expecting to sit.

“Are you coming, Detective Reed? It is imperative that we get to the crime scene and gather evidence as quickly as possible.”

Did that android just  _ snap _ at him?

“Why are you in the driver’s seat? Move over, I sit there,” Gavin said, annoyed. The crime scene can wait, this is more important.

“As you wish, Detective Reed,” RK900 said evenly, slipping out and into the passenger seat. “Now can we-”

“Yeah yeah yeah, we’ll get there when we get there!” Gavin slammed the door shut and buckled in before pulling out of the parking lot. “And for fuck’s sake, stop calling me ‘Detective Reed’ with every sentence that comes out of your mouth. It’s getting on my nerves!”

“But that is your title, is it not?” RK900 argued. “How else am I to address you?”

“You can stick to ‘Detective’,” Gavin replied after a small pause. He wanted to keep his title to prove that he was the superior one, the one that was officially a member of the DPD, the one that earned his title. “Don’t bother tacking ‘Reed’ on afterwards. It’s repetitive.” He held up a finger in warning after turning a corner and scanning the rural houses for their crime scene. “And remember: I’m leading. Got it? No one-upping me, no talking out of turn. And no sticking evidence in your mouth for God’s sake! I’ve heard enough horror stories from Hank!”

“Understood, Detective,” the RK900 said with a polite nod. “Lead the way.”

Gavin incoherently grumbled under his breath before stepping out and taking a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to purge all anger from his face. Can’t show up talking to the owners looking pissed at the grass for existing.

“Good morning, folks,” Gavin greeted, flashing his badge quickly to show he was an actual cop and not a snoopy, nosy neighbor. He’s dealt with situations like that before; someone from down the street decided to become the Neighborhood Watch for the entire block and think that means they can conduct their own investigations. “You reported a break-in earlier?”

The pair couldn’t have been more than in their late twenties, and looked scared out of their wits. “Yes, we did,” one of the women managed to get out. She was holding the smaller female close to her side. “I’m sorry, you must be very busy with other police things. We’ve just moved in almost a month ago and already there’s trouble ...”

“No need to fret over my schedule, ma’am,” Gavin smiled reassuringly. “I’m more than happy to investigate this invasion of your privacy.” He stuck a hand out. “Detective Gavin Reed at your service. The RK900 unit back there is my partner.”

Both women shook it. “I’m Marina,” the original speaker said before gesturing to the lady staying close to her side. “This is my wife, Dorian.”

“You two been married long?” Gavin asked casually, slipping his hands into his jean pockets. There were two reasons as to why he was making small talk: the first was that he was genuinely curious and glad to see someone with a sexuality like his meeting the love of their life. It gave him some hope for his future. The second reason was that he needed to make sure they were calm enough to give him information about what had happened.

“We’re celebrating our one year anniversary next week, actually,” Dorian smiled shyly, speaking up with a soft voice. Her fingers were rubbing the edge of her dark red flannel, whether out of habit, nervousness, or it just being a stim, Gavin couldn’t tell. Poor girl; hopefully whoever snuck in didn’t take anything too important of hers. Dorian looked like she needed to have a flock of guards protecting her every second, but her well-toned wife could probably take care of any battles.

“Happy one year, then,” Gavin grinned. He made a small wave toward their open front door meaningfully. “Have you checked to see if anything was taken?”

Marina led the way inside, Gavin and the RK900 following close behind as Dorian shut the door to keep prying eyes away. “As far as we know, some of Dorian’s plants were disturbed and a few of her crystals taken, but that’s about it for stolen items.”

“I’m sorry-” Dorian started, but was cut off by a swift chaste kiss from Marina.

“It’s not your fault, dear,” Marina whispered. “I saw you blow it out before we left.”

Gavin could feel the android behind him stiffen; there was a sudden tension in the air between their bodies. “Blow what out?” It asked.

“Dorian is Pagan, so her meditations and rituals include candles,” Marina explained. “She was meditating before we left and I saw her blow out the candles, which were in the living room, but we came home to see one of her triple-wicked ones lit and placed under the curtain. The edge was smoldering, but Dorian put it out. She blames herself for almost burning the house down, but we both know she didn’t do this. I think it was the burglar.”

_ ‘Who the fuck else could it be?’ _ The detective bit the inside of his cheek to keep the thought from turning into audible words, nodding in agreement. “RK900, add attempted arson to the list. Can you give us some specifics on what crystals were taken?”

The android opened its mouth to confirm noting the crime, but closed it with a yellow LED as it took a step back to allow its partner to continue the interview. It wasn’t needed, its human partner was more than capable of handling the situation at hand. It watched as Dorian began listing off some of the stones: Clear quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, black opal...

“Did you mention black opal?” RK900 interrupted. It shared a look with Gavin, the human’s a mix of both annoyance and something akin to approval.

“Yes, I did,” Dorian replied slowly. “I like to use it when I want a little prediction of the future. It gives me a sort of feeling towards an event, like if I wanted to go to the grocery store but I had a sense of warning, almost like something was trying to keep me home. Then Marina comes home limping and apparently she hurt her hip, so I spend the day and then the next few caring for her.”

Gavin drummed his finger on his arm thoughtfully, head tilted to the side as he contemplated this new bit of information. “That might correlate with another case I’m working on. Was it any special design or just a round stone?”

“Just a regular rock,” Dorian shrugged. “Why?”

The detective grunted, nails digging into his bicep before his hands relaxed. “Can you show us where the damage is?” He asked, ignoring Dorian’s question.

“The back lock is broken,” Marina said, crossing the hallway and pointing at the door in the kitchen. “The handle is kinda busted too, but we’re getting that replaced today after we pick up our dog.”

“What kind of dog?” RK900 asked, immediately searching for an animal suitable for their household. Not like his suggestion of breed would change their minds as they appear to already be set on a decision, but it gave him something to do other than stand idle and wait for his partner to finish up the investigation.

“German Shepherd, we’re getting a two year old from the shelter.” Dorian smiled a little to herself, leaning against Marina. “He’s already trained. His name is Duke.”

Gavin immediately started a discussion about dogs with the pair, trying to act serious and engage in the conversation well while also petting and cooing to the massive, thick-furred, long-haired black cat he had picked up and was currently pacing on his shoulders. The RK900 left him be to talk about animals with their victims while it searched the nearby rooms for anything that could have been out of the ordinary.

The android mostly found a lot of plants and minimalistic furniture, but sweeping a pothos stem aside it saw something that immediately brought up the file from Gavin’s case this morning. “Detective, I believe I found something important.”

Gavin immediately jogged to his partner, moving the cat to his arms so he could continue cuddling it but also peer at what the RK900 discovered. 

“Holy shit…” Seemed to be the only words that could find their way out of his mouth as he stared at what the android had found.

There, sketched on the white wall with charcoal, was the shape of a raven with a single red eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while the raven I drew is not, unfortunately, the canonical drawing, it's as close as I can get atm! It was posted to my Tumblr (@thetruefor3stspirit) and instead of charcoal I used ink. But one of these days where I get those paper charcoal blenders I'll make it more accurate!


	3. I am Disgusted, I am Revolted, I Dedicate my Whole Life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and This is the Thanks I Get?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bitch be finally gettin' a name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confusion, frustration, fear, and a friend trying to kill Gavin.  
> (Thank you once again @DeviantAlicee [on Tumblr and AO3] for beta reading this chapter!!! It would be shit without you :,D)

Dorian and Marina’s cat biting his earlobe brought Gavin back to the present. He nudged the cat’s head back with his nose and gave its head a small kiss after it hissed.

“Detective, it’s-”

“Yeah I know what it is!” Gavin snapped, cutting the android off. He stared intently at the rough sketch on the wall, questions whirling around his head. Who did this? It had to be the same person who stole the jewelry earlier that morning. A second raven with a red eye couldn’t be a coincidence. Is this the thief’s signature? Is this the thief taunting him? When was this made? How can it help him find the vandalizer?

He let out a yelp of surprise when the furry black demon found a hole by the nape of his neck and wormed in, struggling to get his jacket off while not crushing the cat. “Fuck! Someone help, the cat’s climbing on my back!”

Dorian was doing her best to not laugh while she peeled the cat off of Gavin, but Marina was doubled over with hysteria. “I’m so sorry about Spade!” Dorian apologized, cradling the cat as if it were a human child. “I forgot to mention that he has a tendency to get into things. Did he hurt you?”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Gavin chuckled breezily. “Just didn’t exactly expect a cat to turn into some kind of squirrel. Mine at home is more than happy to lay on the couch and throw his feet over my eyes.”

“Are you sure that your body was not compromised, Detective?” RK900 asked, briefly looking over at Gavin. It had a small digital camera in its hands which it had been using to photograph their evidence (would it even need a camera?). After they had collected what they needed, they could leave the women to clean up the mess on their wall and fix their door handle. “It would disrupt our case if you-”

“I already said I’m alright,” Gavin said through gritted teeth, struggling to control the irritableness this android seemed to create out of thin air. “And I  _ highly _ doubt that even if I did get a couple of scratches I would have to go home for the day. I’m not allergic to cats. Have you ever even seen what their little claws do?” He bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from spitting out an insult of: “Of course you haven’t, you’re just some dipshit born yesterday that was supposed to be scrapped for parts. You don’t know shit about the real world.”

He was a bit of a heartless bastard, yeah, but even he knew not to cross _ that  _ line.

“If you are certain,” the RK900 shrugged, slipping the camera into its pocket. “I have enough records of the evidence, you can clean the charcoal now.” He lightly swiped his fingers across the red dust that made the eye, peering at it quizzically before delicately licking the powder.

“Jesus Christ!” Gavin shrieked, instinctively pulling Spade away from his owner and hiding the cat’s face in his shoulder. “Did you have to do that?!”

The RK900 looked at its human partner as if the man had just asked if he was holding a worm on a string. “Unless you did not want me to identify what substances were used to make this drawing of our raven,  _ yes, _ Detective. How else did you think I discovered this was made with charcoal and soft pastel?”

“I’m gonna be sick,” Gavin gagged, turning his back to Dorian so the cat could scramble onto his shoulder and leap back to his owner. He passed Marina one of his business cards, lightly swatting the android’s shoulder as he spoke. “My number and email are on there, contact me if your burglar strikes again or if you find out more things are missing. We’ve got all the info marked down, so we’ll let you know if we manage to recover your belongings. Shouldn’t take us too long if this is a simple robbery.”

“And if it isn’t?” Marina asked, with a sense of concern lacing her words.

The detective paused, but hardly even for a second before replying cheerfully, “We’d handle it either way. Have a good day, gays!”

The RK900 tilted its head slightly to the left in confusion, its LED briefly spinning a sharp yellow. “Detective, I think you meant to say ‘guys’.”

Gavin hummed, drumming his fingers on his chin before flashing his partner a cheeky grin. “Nope. Said what I meant to.” After giving the couple a polite wave goodbye, Gavin led the way back out to the squad car, all the while mulling over their new developments. He was silent as they walked, that silence continuing into when they sat in the car, only being broken by the soft tapping of his fingers drumming absentmindedly against the steering wheel. Or at least, that was until RK900’s voice crashed his thought train.

“Detective?” The android paused before venturing again. “Detective Reed, we need to go back to the station to fill out our reports on the robbery.”

Gavin didn’t speak for a moment, but when he did, his words were slow and methodical. “Black opal and a raven. Black opal. Raven with red eyes. That’s all we have to go off of. A bird and a rock. How the hell are we supposed to trail this burglar? They’re clearly confident as fuck in their skills. Why else would they leave behind a reminder of this morning’s robbery? And why another so soon?” His voice dropped, and he stared out the window, contemplating the implications of what he had just said.

“We have notes on this case,” the RK900 said. “And notes on the jewelry theft. It makes matters more simple, knowing we only have to look for one person. If we compare the data, we may find similarities.”

“A window was broken into, some carved raven was stolen. Now a whole fucking door handle has to be replaced, and a raven is marked on a wall,” Gavin muttered, pulling away from the house and driving back in the general direction of the station. ‘General direction’ because he was making a slight detour to his favorite cafe. The man needs a panini sandwich and a large coffee. “How the fuck do you think we’re going to find a fucking similarity in these fucking cases other than the fucking fact they’re fucking robberies with fucking birds?”

The RK900 made a mental note that if the detective is swearing more frequently in his sentences, he’s actively growing more aggressive. But it does not know its partner well enough to determine the best approach and calm him down. “The case does appear to be rather difficult,” it said slowly, “but I am certain that we will be able to apprehend the criminal behind the robberies. We just need time.”

“You sound like Connor,” Gavin grunted, lip curling in disgust. Is he really going to be stuck with the taller, slightly more intimidating version of that prancing little shit? “Can’t you talk some other way?”

The android seemed to _ almost  _ hesitate before answering, but it was a machine, not a deviant. It couldn’t hesitate. “I was not given a social module, as a machine designed for my original purpose would not be interacting with humans unless it was to receive orders and give reports. I can mimic my predecessor’s speech pattern, adopt my own form of communicating, or stay on Interrogation.”

“Interrogation? What’s that?” Gavin had barely been paying attention to his partner as he pulled up into the cafe’s parking lot, but now his focus snapped to the RK900. “I mean, I know what an actual interrogation is, but what’s that make you like?”

“Aggressive, assertive, intimidating,” the unit replied. “It makes me more fearsome to allow the highest chance of getting a confession from the enemy.”

‘From the enemy.’ Gavin almost shuddered when he remembered that the android sitting calmly next to him could kill him with ease and a guilt-free conscience in less than three seconds. “Well, that’s good to know, I guess. Why don’t you just try to learn how to socialize on your own terms and not copy Connor?”

“There is no need for me to waste my time perfecting human mannerisms when I can simply use some of the older model’s code. It simplifies matters and I can focus on my cases.” The RK900 spoke with a finalizing tone, warning Gavin to drop the subject.

“Still think it’s kinda stupid, but okay,” Gavin muttered, pulling the key out and pocketing it. “Wait here, I won’t be long.”

“We are not returning immediately to the precinct?” The android questioned, its eyelids twitching ever so slightly. It was almost imperceptible, but Gavin got the feeling that was how his partner was showing its confusion and suspicion.

“I’m a human, dipshit,” Gavin scoffed, climbing out of his seat. “I need food.” He slammed the door shut and went inside, ordering a toasted sandwich and a large latte with two extra shots to go. Tina would probably scold him for going with so much caffeine when it was hardly noon, but she wasn’t here and, well, he needed it.

The detective had been spaced out when his name was called, but he quickly snapped back to reality and accepted his food with a mumbled word of gratitude before shoving the door open with his shoulder. Somehow, he was both relieved and annoyed to see his partner following his order to the letter.

_ ‘Well, at least I don’t have to go hunting all over Detroit for a missing android again,’  _ Gavin reasoned with himself. The case he was referring to had been a year or so ago, when there weren’t enough homicide cases to keep the department busy. Eleanor Miranda had called seven times in thirty minutes complaining about how her household android was missing and demanding several squad cars be dispatched in search of it. 

Gavin was given the case and it had taken a few days of almost nonstop driving to find the rogue android decommissioned in a local forest. The firearm in its hand suggested self-destruction, and that’s what they ruled it as. 

This was all done long before Markus had started festering this idea of a revolution and equal rights, and if the apparent suicide had been committed today, he would have been ordered to look into it a little deeper.

“I have reported our findings to Captain Fowler,” the RK900 said promptly the moment Gavin sat down in the driver’s seat. “He requested an in-depth analysis of the evidence and the jewelry theft, as the stone that was taken is of a much higher value than a smaller version used in a Pagan ritual.”

“Isn’t that religious-ist?” Gavin managed to get out around a bite of his club sandwich. God, he missed it so much. Fowler gave him too many petty cases and paperwork to fill out, he didn’t have any time to go to the bistro. “Like, we have racism, and sexism. Homophobia. Isn’t there a word for that?”

The android looked at its partner almost quizzically. “I believe the term you are having difficulty grasping is ‘anti-religion’ or ‘religious discrimination,’ Detective. Now, may we proceed to the precinct, or must I drive whilst you consume your edibles?”

“I believe the term you’re having trouble grasping is ‘sandwich’ and ‘coffee,’ dipshit,” Gavin snorted, mockingly copying the RK900’s tone to some degree. “And no, I’m perfectly capable of eating and driving at the same time. So fuck off and go into sleep mode or whatever so I don’t have to talk to you.”

The android complied with the new order, so swiftly and promptly that Gavin jumped a little and wondered if he had to restart the damn thing. At least it had the forethought to close its eyes.

_ ‘Creepy ass motherfucker.’  _ Gavin shook his head and drove back to the precinct, trying to avoid looking at his partner out of the corner of his eye. About twenty minutes of silence elapsed, and the detective wasn’t sure if he preferred that to the RK900 making small talk.

That was such a pain in the ass to say. ‘Ar-kay-nine-hundred.’ Took too many seconds. Would the android give itself a name? Did its model have one, like Connor? Oh for fuck’s sake, was Gavin going to have to _ name  _ it?

“We’re here,” Gavin said aloud after parking near the building’s entrance and unbuckling his seat-belt. The android opened its eyes and straightened its spine, turning to look at its partner as Gavin spoke. “Hey, do you have a specific name or something? Other than your model number?”

“I only have my designated unit label, unless you are referring to my serial number,” the RK900 replied. “A name like a human owns has not been programmed into my systems, as I would not have needed one.”

“Well, I’m getting fucking tired of saying ‘RK900’ all the time, so you need an actually decent name,” Gavin deadpanned. “Come up with something.”

“I cannot. Free thought is only accessible if I were human or deviant.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake-” Gavin bit the inside of his cheek, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. This android could be a dick sometimes. Wait… “Fine, I’ll do it. How about Richard as an official name?”

“‘Official name’?” The newly dubbed Richard echoed. “Do you have an alternative?” Although Richard was a rather amusing, if not accurate name given he thought the android was a class-A dick, it would be sort of cruel for him to be called that based off of that derivative alone. He had one better.

“Yeah, Nines. Sounds less fancy and it’s short, choppy, and to the point. Now get out of the damn car so we can do our job.”

“I believe you are also currently sitting in the car, Detective.”

“Fuck you.”

The pair got out of the squad car together, somehow not immediately and physically butting heads. Gavin dumped his lunch down on his desk before double checking the evidence and written statements he had collected. “You go tell Fowler ‘bout what happened, I’ll stuff this in the archives.”

“Detective, I had already reported the situation to the captain,” Nines said with a barely perceptible frown. It was more like his facial features twitched than really held. “Do you not recall? I had told you this when you came back from the cafe.”

_ ‘Shit, he did.’ _ Gavin cursed himself inwardly for having forgotten so soon. He needed a glass of whiskey or something. Four more shots on top of his morning latte might not be enough.

Then again, there  _ was  _ already four shots in that first coffee. He should probably tone it down.

When Hell freezes over.

“Do whatever you need to do, then,” Gavin grumbled irritably. “I’m gonna lock this up, write up my report then pray to a god that I don’t get handed another McFucking robbery today. Maybe I can go home early.”

“Your shift ends at six o’clock,”  _ Nines _ informed him. “You still have five hours and thirty-seven minutes left.”

“Shaddup,” Gavin hissed, taking a quick swig of his latte before slamming it down. “Go do something useful for once. Who gives a fuck about what kind of medium was used to make a red eye?” He flipped a bird over his shoulder for good measure as he stormed off for the archive room.

He liked it down there; it was fairly dim if you didn’t flip all the switches, and you could seclude yourself in one of the rooms with the excuse of viewing evidence when in reality you were having an existential crisis.

Not that Gavin knows what having an existential crisis in the dark sitting in a corner with his knees drawn to his chest feels like or anything.

The wall of his room looked eerily empty, as if he had made some sort of fatal mistake in not collecting more evidence from this morning’s thefts. Gavin didn’t like it, nor did he like the unsettling feeling in his stomach. All detectives wished they had more evidence, it meant that they could speed things along in finding the criminal. But this felt off, and in spite of all of his years of expertise Gavin couldn’t figure out _ why. _

He put what little powder scrapings his partner had collected into their own cubbies, writing down what was in the baggies and putting the cards beside them. He really just had the charcoal and pastel powder from the raven to put away, due to the absence of fingerprints. The CSI team wasn’t exactly concerned with a regular house robbery, especially since the only object noticeably damaged was a door handle that’s undoubtedly been fixed at this point. They couldn’t find anything in the jeweler's store, which alludes to the thief having used gloves. Assuming the thief was human; it could have been an android.

_ ‘Smart son of a bitch is gonna play hard to catch, huh?’ _ Gavin could feel a smirk toying at his lips.  _ ‘Good thing I like a challenge. Even if the case is shit.’ _

Gavin looked over their collection one more time before locking the room up and walking out into the hallway. He was about to lift a foot to place it on the first stair when someone from behind threw him in a choke-hold, covered his mouth and tossed him onto his back.

The detective wheezed as the air rushed out of his lungs, and before he could get his breath back his assailant’s knee was pressing down on his sternum. They didn’t push hard enough to hurt, but definitely applied enough force to keep him pinned.

“Fuck you!” Gavin managed to gasp out, struggling to shove the attacker’s thigh away.

“Don’t think you’re my type, sorry,” Captain Allen replied, raising an eyebrow mockingly. “How the hell would that even work out? Your brat energy masks any dom or sub energy you might have.”

“Shut up and let me go!” Gavin screeched, now clawing at the captain’s stomach. “And for fuck’s sake  _ please _ don’t say that when Tina is working her shift! I don’t know where she is! Do you know how many times she teased me about Chris using me to cheat on his wife because Chris offered me a doughnut?!”

Allen snorted, chuckling while he shifted off of Gavin and offered a hand to help him up to which Gavin took gladly. “Fuckin’-A, you can’t do shit without her demanding to know who was in your bed last night huh?”

“You have no God damn idea, Mister Dating One Of My Team Members,” Gavin muttered, dusting off his jeans.

“In my defense, Cain is hot but also a bitch sometimes,” Allen argued, holding up a finger. “So while I do have a boyfriend-”

“You get all the benefits of having him,” Gavin cut him off. “Sure he’s a little bratty, so what? It’s  _ Cain,  _ fuckwad. If you didn’t want to deal with that, then why would you hook up and stay up?”

Allen opened his mouth to say some kind of retort before closing it with a frown. “...Point made,” he said begrudgingly. “But still! It isn’t all rainbows and cruise ships. There are ups and downs.”

“Ya think I don’t know that, Allen?” Gavin scoffed with a roll of his eyes, bumping his shoulder against his friend’s. “Don’t freak out over that, I’m just tossing my weight around. You got anything to do later, other than look like a damn leopard?”

“Bit of a drug bust, but other than that I’ll just be sitting around twiddling my thumbs,” Allen shrugged. “Josh has been undercover for a few weeks and we have all the information we need to pull an arrest.”

“What’s the likelihood of it going south?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow. Most people didn’t like talking about their chances of dying in horrible pain, but then again, most people weren’t cops. Dancing and flirting with Death is part of the job.

“The dealers have wizened up a little. Josh reports them always carrying some sort of handgun visibly, every now and then with an armed bodyguard by their side. He’s still pretty low in the food chain there, so he wasn’t able to tell us if they managed to get their hands on some kevlar vests.” Allen gave the detective a lopsided, humorless smirk. “So I’d say pretty good chance some of us will end up in the OR. But don’t worry, I’m coming back. Wouldn’t want to leave my favorite asshole alone to deal with a grief-stricken boyfriend.”

“Gee, and I was hoping to be the new shoulder for him to cry on,” Gavin said, pronouncing his sarcasm heavily. “Assuming he  _ does _ cry. Every time I see him he’s just glaring.”

“Cain does have a soft side!” Allen defended, crossing his arms with an offended sniff. “But he only lets me see it, which makes me special. Don’t diss my boyfriend, Reed!”

“Then don’t go dying, Allen,” Gavin retorted, flicking the captain’s forehead. “Now unlike a certain someone who gets to go play with guns, I actually have paperwork to fill out and a robber to pursue.”

Allen’s expression changed from one of anger to that of sympathy. “More petty thefts? Is no one out on a killing spree lately?”

“Either the department’s arrested all the murderers, or Fowler’s had enough of my shit,” Gavin shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what the reason is, because the outcome is the same and now I have to fill out a shit ton of paperwork and explain that my cat burglar has given me nothing to work with other than a stone and a bird reference for both cases.”

Allen let out a low whistle, clapping Gavin’s shoulder as he moved past. “Good luck staying awake, then. Gotta go debrief the team.”

“Good luck staying alive!” Gavin called after him, watching the man leave before making his way back to his desk. His legs felt like they were trying to wade through thick, tangled mats of seaweed. Clearly, they didn’t want to get back to work either.

The detective’s nose wrinkled in annoyance at the sight of his partner sitting across from his desk, interfacing with the terminal. He sat down moodily in the chair, using his heels to drag it closer to the work surface. Captain Fowler had very helpfully provided him with a folder full of blank documents to be filled out, and Gavin felt like bashing his head in with it.

“What took up so much of your time, Detective?” Nines questioned, looking away from the computer. “Surely you did not spend all of those fifty-two minutes putting away a few bags of scrapings.”

“None of your fuckin’ business, now is it?” Gavin snapped immediately. “You don’t need to know what I do every second of my Goddamn day! So fuck off and do whatever your job is.”

The android fell silent, continuing to look over the files it had pulled up on the screen. Gavin could see its eyes flickering rapidly from side to side, taking in every piece of information it could before scrolling further. He wasn’t sure what Nines was reading, as they didn’t have enough information on their current cases, but he wasn’t about to play civil and ask.

The hours dragged on painfully, Gavin really only taking a break from his work to use the restroom or throw away the trash from his sandwich. Occasionally, Tina would come over and make small chat, or Chris would talk absentmindedly about how his new daughter was doing and how he’s dealing with fatherhood. 

For the most part, however, the precinct was quiet. Only the clicking of the keyboard and hushed requests broke the peace, but no one really minded. Dread and fatigue fell over the bullpen like a damp blanket and the glorious driving rain that spring decided to bring to Detroit did nothing to help lift Gavin’s spirits an inch as he packed up.

“Have a good night, Detective,” Nines said, blinking up at him.

Gavin noticed how it made no move towards leaving. “You’re not heading back too?” He asked guardedly, pulling his car keys out of his briefcase before closing it and throwing the strap over his shoulder.  _ ‘Fuck, wrong shoulder,’ _ he thought with a muted hiss, switching the bag around. “Thought you had finished your half of the paperwork.”

“I did,” Nines replied simply. “But I have only just been released by Cyberlife today, and have no designated station. I will either remain here at the department or return to Cyberlife Tower for the night. I see no need for my changing of stations, however.”

Oh fuck, it was just kinda thrust into the world with no explanation, wasn’t it? Must suck ass having to flounder in the deep like that.

Gavin eyed the android, contemplating his options as the machine stared back.

“... ‘Night, then. I’ll be back in the morning. Expect to head back to the Reynolds’ jewelry store tomorrow for some more investigating.”

“Of course. Drive safely, Detective,” Nines replied, turning back to its computer, presumably to switch it off. “The roads are slick, and ninety percent of car crashes are due to the driver’s errors. The absence of proper traction may factor you into that percentage.”

“I-” Gavin coughed, choosing to not speak his thoughts aloud. Instead, he gave his partner a quick, tight nod and walked quickly out of the precinct.

The rain gave him a stinging slap across his cheek, forcing him to pull his hoodie up and tug it as far over his face as the fabric could stretch. Gavin managed to ford his way to his car, deciding that it would be better to drop his briefcase in the passenger’s seat after he sat down in his own. Why let more water get over his console?

Despite his grievances against Nines, Gavin found himself taking extra care as he drove home, making certain he had enough time to slow down at lights and to double check the street before turning a corner. He got home just fine, albeit rather damp from his unwanted and cold shower.

He had barely thrown his briefcase in his room and toweled his hair dry when Mrs. Hammond came walking in, a tray in her hands laden with Guinness and assorted snacks. Mostly those little cucumber sandwiches you see fancy ladies of old feasting on during high tea time. Of course an Irish woman would bring that.

“Lois,” Gavin greeted with a smile. “Had a feeling you might show up. I assume I need to provide the glasses?”

“Do you see them on me tray?” Lois Hammond snorted, setting said tray down on the coffee table. “Inside or outside?”

Gavin gestured toward the balcony. “Outside sounds splendid right about now,” he said dryly, plucking out two drinking glasses and sitting down on the couch beside his neighbor, helping himself to some of the food while she poured the liquor.

“So, tell me how things went today,” Lois prompted. “You don’t seem particularly pleased about things.”

Gavin shrugged, swirling the amber liquid around before knocking it back. “Day was shit, what can I say?”

“Well, you could start tellin’ me exactly  _ how _ it was shit, for starters,” Lois said, tapping her glass. “I can’t exactly get in my dose of police gossip if that’s all you leave it at.”

Gavin chuckled, helping himself to some more of the Guinness. “Well, if you say so.” He drank another large swallow before jumping right into the details: How Fowler had given him, a homicide detective, a fucking robbery to investigate. Then an out-of-the-blue, spontaneous partner which he withheld information on, as he wasn’t sure how much of the RK900 line he was free to discuss. He complained about having to deal with ‘this snobbish prick’ and being given a second robbery on top of the morning’s events that seemed to be connected to the first.

Lois listened to all of it with infinite patience and calm, letting him finish before giving her words of advice. “I know that dealing with a new kid is a pain in the fuckin’ ass, but it sounds like you’re stuck with him for quite a while, so it would be best to make the most of it and try to get along to some degree. You don’t have to invite him into your bed, just be tolerant with each other so you can get work done and not butt heads twenty-four-seven.” She offered Gavin a smile, sipping some of her drink before continuing. “I had a dickhead of a partner once too, and all we did was clash horns. Eventually was threatened with the loss of my position if I didn’t get along with him, so I did. I didn’t think much about our new friendship status until he pulled me from the line of fire.” Lois finished her glass before setting it on the coffee table. “Some bullets had found spaces that weren’t protected and I had gone down. We got married a little over a year later.” Lois gathered up the dishes she had brought from her apartment. “I’m off to bed, hun. My old bones don’t like this weather. Thank you for entertaining me.”

“Thank you for coming, Lois,” Gavin said sincerely. “I honestly enjoy your company, and you made a terrible day a little bit better.”

“I’m glad I could help, then,” Lois smiled, saying goodbye to human and cat before leaving Gavin’s home.

Meatloaf was happily enjoying the Temptations treats Lois had given him while Gavin washed and put away the drinking glasses, digging through his wardrobe to find a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt he didn’t necessarily care about before ducking into the bathroom for a quick shower. The heat successfully got rid of the pressing feeling of soaked clothes and reminded him just how fucking  _ tired _ he was. After changing into his pajamas, it took almost all of his energy to get back to bed and crawl under the covers, lifting them momentarily for Meatloaf to crawl under and settle against his stomach.

He didn’t remember setting his alarm, nor the feeling of his eyes closing or his muscles relaxing. All Gavin knew was that he was standing in the abyss, surrounded by walls that seemed nonexistent but claustrophobically close. 

Out of nowhere, a bottle was thrown at his face, ripping open old scars and making new ones. He stumbled back, trying to wipe the blood out of his eyes when someone kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to fall to his knees. Gavin felt the cold, unforgiving metal of a dagger dig into his throat as he watched a woman get dragged screaming before him. She barely had time to cry out his name before a red river ran freely from a hole in her chest. 

Gavin wanted to fight back, he wanted to scream. He wanted to exact justice for this innocent lady, but he couldn’t. He had no voice, no control over his limbs. His eyes pricked with tears as Tina, Fowler, Hank and Allen slowly faded into existence, their faces covered in disappointment.

“You should have saved her.”

“You should have dodged that bottle.”

“You should have defended yourself.”

“You should have-”

“You should have-”

“You should have-”

Gavin squeezed his eyes shut, droplets seeping out of the corners as he tried to ignore their harsh, cruel voices. Condescending, judgmental, full of disgust. He didn’t want to believe them. He didn’t want to be told of all his failures. He didn’t want to be reminded of his _ past. _

He opened them again after realizing that the voices had left.

But so had they.

His friends.

His father figures.

All were gone.

They had left him on purpose.

He was abandoned.

He had no one.

_ He was no one. _

Gavin’s palms hit the darkness, the feeling of grit from gravel digging into his skin as his body shook with sobs. What had he done to deserve this? To deserve any of this? He had done his best. Was that not enough? Could he have tried harder? He  _ should _ have tried harder.

A pain in his abdomen caused him to wince, hand instinctively curling inward to protect it. The sharp feeling kept digging and growing, and his body jerked violently.

There was something soft under his palm.

It was Meatloaf.

Gavin blinked, chest heaving for air as he tried to blearily take in his surroundings.

He was in bed.

His cat was kneading him and meowing.

His skin was slick with sweat.

The nightmare. It had come back. 

Gavin whined, curling in on himself. He could feel tears drip onto his arm and from there to the bed, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t care. He couldn’t even think. His mind was racing at one hundred miles per hour, his vision unfocused, his lungs unable to hold in life-giving oxygen.

He wasn’t aware he had passed out again. All he knew was that he hurt, physically, emotionally, and mentally. That, and the pain in which he felt was not planning on leaving anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want Gavin to butt heads with more people, and felt like even an asshole like him would have a /slightly/ larger support group, so enter Allen! :D  
> The man that shows his affection for his friend (no homo) by choking him and breaking his sternum :D  
> Allen's nice I swear :D  
> (What do you mean did I use a vine for the title because I'm lazy :D)


	4. "And they were roommates!" "Oh my God they were roommates..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I dropped a baby on its head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blessed be the writer and (my) editor @DeviantAlicee \\(-,_,-)/  
> This chapter isn't as long as I'd hoped it would be, but it will have to do. I'm just glad I can get some content out!

Gavin’s voice slurred incoherently as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position, only for his arms to give way and his chest to crash down on top of them. He was tired, yes, and in desperate need of a much fuller night’s sleep, but he knew that was unattainable at the moment so it would be better to just start the day now.

At 4:13 in the morning.

Gavin wasn’t much of a morning person if he could help it, but there are plenty of exceptions to a lot of rules.

As he slowly (and literally) rolled out of bed, Gavin reflected on his work life. It had been almost four weeks now since Nines had been dumped at his feet unceremoniously and they were no closer to finding their thief than when the detective had first walked into the Reynolds’ jewelry store. In that time, both human and android had scoured the two places they knew for sure had been hit by their robber but found no more evidence that could help them apprehend this mystery person.

His shifts were filled with constant poring over documents that hurt his eyes by just  _ thinking _ about them and what appeared to be  _ almost  _ kind gestures from his partner. 

Gavin had spent a few days without his regular dose of caffeine in the morning, and it turned him into a foaming, ravaging beast. Even Tina would back off when he approached; there was simply no possible way to interact with him without negative consequences. Nines had noticed, it seems, because for about the last two weeks now Gavin had been greeted with the sight of a large cup of coffee on his desk every morning. It  _ had _ to be his partner; Tina would ask before she bought him anything, and the contents were most definitely from the precinct’s drip pot. He’d know that signature Law Enforcement Gritty Wet Bean Water Bullshit anywhere.

Nines would never even allude to the mysterious cup and Gavin would never thank him. Sure, he had his suspicions, but what if it didn’t really come from the android? Besides, Nines wasn’t a deviant. Any sort of thankful gesture would be wasted on it. So why waste the breath?

Gavin had been slowly rolling onto his side when he paused, face still half-mashed in the carpet from where he originally fell. What if that android was already deviant, and it was just hiding it really well? 

Nines  _ had  _ offered to finish up some of Gavin’s paperwork of its own free will when Gavin was working overtime in an attempt to get everything done. Not to mention it had even suggested driving the detective to his apartment itself when Gavin’s knees felt like sliding out of their respective sockets.

A true machine wouldn’t do that, and it also wouldn’t flash a red LED for a quarter of a second when its well-meant offer of caring for its partner was denied. He could’ve sworn he had seen it turn crimson, but that was out of his peripheral vision and it was back to blue when he turned his head.

Maybe he just needed more sleep. He always needed more fucking sleep.

“Fuuuuck off-hh-hh-hhnnn,” Gavin groaned, trying unsuccessfully to shove his body away from Meatloaf. The cat had decided to walk onto his owner’s unprotected back and start kneading his shoulder blades.

The detective’s arms contorted into what would be very painful positions for regular people that don’t own cats but were done without a second thought for the sole purpose of scratching Meatloaf’s head for a few minutes before pushing himself off of the floor at last. A hiss came from both of their mouths; Meatloaf’s was done out of annoyance at being denied a new bed, and Gavin’s was done out of pain caused by the headache hammering his skull like a persistent battering ram. 

Perhaps spending hours late into the night drinking with Allen wasn’t the best idea.

_ ‘At least I have today to get rid of this fuckin’ hangover,’ _ Gavin reasoned with himself, managing to sit on the floor with his back leaning against his mattress.  _ ‘Assuming I don’t crack open the alcohol cabinet.’ _

A brief look at the clock told him it was now 4:37. Fuck, did he pass out on the floor or something? How did so much time pass? Gavin sniffed, rubbing the scar that cut across his nose in a jagged line. Maybe a shower would help wake him up. Water first, though. He may not know much, but he at least knew that water was a good idea after you’ve drunk yourself to the point of passing out.

Slowly pushing himself off the floor with the nightstand as his brace, Gavin stumbled through the dark hallway and into the kitchen. He couldn’t be bothered to flip on a light; besides, the harsh white bulbs would probably hurt his already-sensitive eyes anyway.

Meatloaf, for probably the first time in his life, didn’t yowl at his owner when they entered the kitchen together. Instead, the feline chose to jump onto the counter and sit in between the stove and fridge, watching Gavin with wide, somber eyes.

“I’m doing real bad, ‘Loaf,” Gavin mumbled, holding himself up with his palms pressed against the counter’s edge while he dipped his forehead down to touch his cat’s. Meatloaf let out a small, lonely meow before sniffing the human’s cheek and rubbing his face against the scruff he found.

Gavin sighed heavily, taking a moment to bury his face in Meatloaf’s side and just… relax. Breathe for a second. Get grounded. Remember who he is and where he is.

His head felt as heavy as a bowling ball when he lifted it away, but that was just the fatigue and hangover talking. Successfully pulling a glass out of one of the nearby cabinets without dropping it and breaking anything, he filled it nearly to the brim with cold water from his fridge and chugged it down so fast he got hiccups. Well, nothing cures the hiccups like more cold water.

Gavin drank three large glasses before finally putting it down in the sink and stumbling off for the bathroom, wincing when his foot made a particularly loud thud.  _ ‘Sorry, Lois…’ _ He thought with a grimace as he stripped his clothes off. He wasn’t wearing much anyway, just boxers and a loose shirt, but that didn’t mean he wanted them to get soaked. A change into more socially acceptable rags could wait a few hours.

The detective inhaled sharply when the water blasted his chest; he forgot to give it some time to warm up. Shit, he really was a mess, huh? 

After a few seconds of shivering and wondering how the showerhead wasn’t dumping ice cubes on him, the temperature started rising swiftly and Gavin let out a sigh of relief. His headache was slowly receding thanks to his earlier drink and he hoped the shower would help him sober up some more. It apparently worked for Hank, but then again, the water was cold and he was basically thrown into the tub as the legend that circulated through the precinct goes.

Gavin closed his eyes, not bothering to move his head as water ran down through his hair and onto his face. It felt nice, at least.

A persistent scratching at the door brought him back to earth and he glanced over in the direction of the noise. “Shut up you pervert, you can last ten minutes without me!” He called, keeping his voice lower than usual. Not everyone appreciated being woken up at five in the morning and he really didn’t need a noise complaint to be added to his list of grievances today.

Meatloaf wailed mournfully in the hallway and Gavin sped up his time in the shower so the damned cat would quieten down sooner, looking askance at the old shirt before grudgingly slipping it back on. “Alright, calm down, I’m coming. Dad’s gotta change into nicer clothes real quick, okay? I can’t go back to sleep and Tina’s working a shift right now, so I’m gonna bring her some nice breakfast from that cafe close to the precinct. It’ll give me something to do. I’ll be back in a bit, I promise.”

Meatloaf just started chewing on his exposed calf and Gavin questioned why he had to explain himself so thoroughly to a fucking  _ cat  _ of all things.

After sending a quick text to Tina, informing her of his new plan of action and receiving a simple ‘k’ in response, he shimmied into some fresher clothes and patted himself down to assure that he had everything. Keys, phone, everyday carry… But no wallet.

_ ‘Fuck, I must’ve forgotten it at the station.’ _ Gavin dug around the few areas he knew he would put it before calling his friend. “T’, is my wallet at my desk? I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Gimme a second.” He could hear her yawn softly in the background and a quiet shuffle of her feet. “Yeah, you left it in one of your desk drawers. Gonna come pick it up?”

The detective pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his ‘Quick Funds For Necessary Things’ envelope he had stored in his nightstand, stuffing it in his pocket while walking out to the elevator. “Yeah, I’ll be there with a sandwich or something. Oh, and some coffee. I’ve got some loose cash on me I can use, so I’ll drop breakfast off and take it.”

“Mhm.” There was a small pause, which Gavin chalked up to her being tired. “It’ll be with me. By the way, do you know what’s up with the RK900? Wait, shit, you gave it a name. What was it… Nine or something like that?”

“Close, but no cigar. It’s Nines,” Gavin corrected, unlocking his car and sliding in. “And what are you talking about? Has it threatened to kill someone?”

“Naw, it’s just… here. Like all the time. Whenever I come in it’s either working or in stasis. Kinda creepy.”

Gavin frowned at this new piece of information. He had never really considered what the android did outside of normal working hours. He had never really considered what it did period. “Well, it’s not a deviant. What did you expect?”  
“Something a little more natural,” Tina muttered over the phone, some papers shuffling creating a background noise.

“It’s an android, T’, it’s anything  _ but  _ natural,” Gavin shrugged as he walked out to his car. The sun hadn’t quite risen yet, which was a shame; it would have been a nice view. 

Briefly he wondered if he should be driving when still slightly hungover, but decided that the water and shower sobered him up enough for it to be safe. There was no way in hell he was going to go out on a nice little walk at five-fucking-thirty in the morning. “Hey, I gotta go, I’m about to pull out of the parking lot. Don’t really wanna crash and all.”

“See you in like, twenty,” Tina replied before there was a click on her line.  
Her guess wasn’t that far off; Gavin showed up about twenty-five minutes after they ended the call. The secretary didn’t card him, thankfully, and he managed to slip into the bullpen fairly unnoticed. “You hungry?” He greeted Tina, putting the bag and coffee down on her desk.

“Absolutely starving,” Tina groaned, eagerly digging through the bag’s contents. She took out a warm Caesar salad wrap, cookie, and a croissant. “Thank you so fucking much, Gavin!”

“‘S no big deal,” Gavin chuckled, leaning against her desk. “You mentioned that Nines is still wandering around?”  
“Not really wandering,” Tina mumbled around a mouthful of salad, “more just… standing. It looks kinda lost and pathetic, not gonna lie.”  
“Where is it?” Gavin asked, glancing around the precinct. There was no sign of the android anywhere when he had previously assumed it would just be around their desks.

“Probably in some back room charging on the floor or doing whatever it is idle androids do,” Tina replied, stuffing the croissant in her mouth before taking a huge gulp of coffee. “Fuck, it’s Fowler!” She hastily tried to swallow her breakfast while Gavin rose to face his captain.

“You’re not on duty today, Reed,” Fowler said with mild suspicion in his tone, eyes narrowed. “Usually I don’t see hide nor hair of you on your days off.”

“Woke up extra early and decided to be charitable for once,” Gavin said with an airy wave. “Don’t worry, I’ll be making my way out soon enough.”  
“You certainly will, but not on your own terms. I was going to call you, but it seems I don’t have to now that you’re already here.”

Now it was Gavin’s turn to slit his eyes. “Can’t some other officer handle it? Do I have to go just because I decided to stop by?”

“It’s not like I have some kind of personal grudge against you, Reed,” Fowler sighed, rubbing his eyes. Gavin noted the rumples in his usually pristine shirt and dress pants, the pronounced wrinkles on his face and the faint bags under his eyes. Looks like the captain wasn’t getting much sleep either. “I have good reason to believe it may be tied in to your thief.”

If Gavin was being honest with himself, he had been hoping ever since he got the case that it would run cold and he wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. “What’s the evidence?”  
“The owner of the house found a dead raven with fake red gemstones glued to its eyelids.”

“Jesus Christ!” Gavin cursed, shuddering as he flinched away. He was a homicide detective, yes, but he investigated human murders, the most recent ones of which had been relatively simple. But who the fuck stones a raven and leaves that as a warning of sorts... Assuming it was a warning? What else could it be, some sick ‘welcome home’ gift? “Are you shitting me, Cap’?”  
“No, Reed. I strongly suggest you drive out to the scene as soon as possible. We don’t know exactly when the bird was planted there, but the CSI team believes it’s been dead for…” Fowler glanced at his watch. “About two hours now. Find your partner and get hunting, the suspect may still be around.” _‘Yeah, not likely,’_ Gavin thought, but kept that to himself.

“Will do,” Gavin muttered, glaring at the floor as Fowler walked past to discuss something with another officer. “Fucking hell. I was hoping to go back to sleep in an hour.”

“Sorry,” Tina shrugged helplessly. “I saw Nines last in the hallway down to the right if that’s helpful at all.”

Gavin let out an exaggerated, heavy sigh before dragging his feet in the direction Tina suggested, glancing in the rooms and testing a few handles. Naturally, the majority of them were locked. One wasn’t, however, and in a corner of the open room he found Nines standing perfectly still with its eyes closed and LED a dim yellow; the android was in stasis.  
“Nines. Hey, Nines, wake up! We got a case!” Gavin snapped, storming up to the machine and prodding its chest with a finger. “Apparently someone killed a bird and now we have to deal with it. Get up already!”  
“My apologies, Detective,” Nines said, eyes opening smoothly and swiveling to look at Gavin without turning its head, LED returning to blue. “My stasis session was deeper than intended.”

“Fuckin’ stasis bullshit,” Gavin grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he led the way out. “Come on, dipshit, it’s supposed to be my day off. Let’s get this over with so I can head home.”

He stopped by Tina’s desk just long enough to grab his previously forgotten wallet before the pair drove to the scene of whatever crime was committed. 

_ ‘Please don’t tell me it’s just a bird,’ _ Gavin thought as he turned a corner, eyeing the abandoned building that held their destination’s address.  _ ‘Because if so, that is fucking bullshit and whoever called it in should be charged with wasting police resources.’ _

“Detectives,” Officer Person said with a polite nod as they stepped out, the rookie under her watch crouched down by something on the doorstep. “Bit too early to be out wandering around in some mildewy house, in my opinion.”  
“You can say that again,” Gavin agreed, peering at the datapad in her hands. “All I was informed of was that there was a dead bird. Do we have anything else?”  
“We have the identified raven with the fake gems on its eyes, signs of a breaking and entering situation, and an attack on an innocent,” Person replied, showing him the notes. “She’s being looked over in the ambulance there, she got her arm cut by the assailant.”  
Gavin let out a low whistle. “So we’ve got an actual attack now, huh?” He glanced up at Nines, raising an eyebrow. “Looks like we aren’t just dealing with a burglar anymore.” He just barely stopped himself from rubbing his hands with anticipation; finally, some real action. The stakes were rising at last. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been as excited as he was.

“We’ve already gotten a statement from the witness, so you can get your own to compare after you check out the crime scene. There’s no rush,” Person said, stepping aside to allow them past.

Laurence, the trainee, quickly scooted away as the far more experienced cops walked up. “It was still warm when we showed up,” he explained, gesturing to the still bird. Already it was starting to form a smell and Gavin’s nose wrinkled at the sight of its white talons. Definitely the same person who stole the Reynolds’ stone raven. “The CSI team is still doing its sweep, but there’s a good chance the killer is still inside.”

“Good to know,” Gavin commented absentmindedly as he walked inside, resisting the urge to hurl at the smell of rotting wood and flesh. Undoubtedly some rats have died in the walls and under the floors. 

There were three stories to the house, and the team was doing their best to be thorough yet quick. Gavin decided to double check the spots that they’ve already been in, just in case they looked over something.

Nines took the second floor, Gavin took the kitchen. 

There wasn’t much to look at; the house had been pretty gutted by the previous owners. He still poked his face into every cabinet and hole he found however; the human prided himself on collecting every potential shred of evidence possible and noticing every misplaced object.  
He fell backwards with a shout of surprise when a masked figure suddenly burst out of the hole in the wall he had ripped open, trying to grab at them but failing as they practically danced away. 

“They’re still here!” Gavin roared, pushing himself up and taking chase. By now, he was the only one left downstairs; everyone else was on the second or third floor. He chased the criminal through the living room, watching them jump unnecessarily far over the couch before diving out the window. Gavin quickly followed suit, only to realize why they had made such a massive leap.

The floor was especially weak right behind where the robber had landed.

Gavin crashed through the severely rotted wood, slamming onto the concrete floor of the basement below and blacking out temporarily as his brain bounced between the walls of his skull.  
“Detective!” Nines called, looking into the hole for all but two seconds before jumping in after him, just barely avoiding crushing the human with its feet. Carefully, the android rolled Gavin over scanning his vitals. Severely bruised left arm and shoulder, bruised ribs, with a potential concussion. 

“Detective, can you hear me?” Nines asked, getting a groan in response as Gavin slowly came to. “Fuckin’ head hurts,” he grumbled, a hand coming up to press against his temple. 

“We need to get you out of here and looked over in an ambulance-,” Nines began, but was cut off by Gavin’s hand suddenly gripping his wrist tightly. 

“I don’t need a fuckin’ ambulance!” The injured human hissed as he struggled to sit up. “Jesus, I just fell through the floor is all. Just need a second to get my bearings- HEY HEY WHOA, PUT ME DOWN!” He shrieked as Nines, apparently, was fed up with his shit and scooped him up bridal style. “LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD!”

“When we are upstairs and you can get checked by the EMTs,” Nines said curtly, the look on its face preventing further argument. 

Gavin crossed his arms and glared at the wall as Nines climbed up the stairs and eased him to his feet, keeping a firm hold on his elbow to make certain that the detective actually went to the EMTs and didn’t just try to give him the slip.

Gavin almost dragged his feet as he headed to the ambulance. It wasn’t out of anger or spite this time; his vision was starting to blur and it felt like the world was trying to knock him off balance by leaning to one side and then another.

The ambulance attendant made him sit on the edge of the van, checking his arm and gently prodding him to test for fractures. “You most likely have a concussion,” they informed him after Gavin had explained what happened. “It would be in your best interest to rest at home for at least a week. Don’t do strenuous activities, try to stay in bed, and have your spouse or a friend help you with regular chores.”

“That should not be too much of a problem,” Nines almost shrugged. The action was in his tone. “I will be assisting Detective Reed.”

“I don’t need a fucking babysitter!” Gavin snarled, not really bothering to fight this time and instead focus on getting out to his car discreetly. He had too much pride to let any of the officers see him like this.

“Correct. You do not require a babysitter, you require a healthcare aide,” Nines replied. Gavin glared up at his partner; he could hear the smile in its tone, even if it didn’t show it. 

“Fuck you,” he spat, managing to find a way around the main commotion and get to his car without attracting attention from the others. Nines sent a text to Officer Person’s phone, letting her know that the detective was mildly injured and required rest but would be able to pursue the case shortly and told her to keep looking for the assailant.

Gavin withheld a whine of pain as he was eased into the passenger seat, the headache from his hangover coming back only to be multiplied by his guaranteed concussion. He wasn’t even aware that he wasn’t driving; all he was focused on was holding his head in his hands and trying to not throw up as the movement made him carsick. Each turn felt like the loop of a damn rollercoaster.

He wasn’t aware of time passing, or even really of how he got up to his apartment. All he knew was that there was always something solid and sturdy against his side, until there wasn’t and instead something soft was under his back.

“Stay here Detective, I’ll get something for your concussion and bruises.” That sounded vaguely like Nines, but it was hard to hear over the furious pounding in his head. Gavin winced when the android lifted his injured arm to slip a few pillows underneath it and tie ice to the blossoming bruises before sighing heavily in relief as a cold, damp rag was pressed gently to his forehead. It felt like it froze his migraine for the moment.

“There is a good chance that you sprained your shoulder, so I recommend you do as little with your left arm as possible,” Nines informed him, scanning the human again. “You may want to refrain from walking, too. Your hip was also slightly damaged due to your fall.”

“I feel like throwing up when I’m just standing, you seriously think I’ll walk?” Gavin grumbled, holding his injured shoulder with his normal hand. “How the fuck did I even get up here?” He could have sworn he saw concern on that dumb android’s face, but if so, then it existed for maybe half a second. It was probably just the concussion talking, anyway. This thing was still as much of a machine as when it was first activated.

“You fell asleep in the car and were barely coherent when I woke you up, so I carried you to your apartment and then laid you down on your bed. Your next-door neighbor seemed concerned over your wellbeing and suspicious of my presence,” Nines explained, carefully sitting down by Gavin’s knees. “Are you in pain? I found some ibuprofen in your medicinal cabinet. It would be wise for you to take some pain medication and something for your nausea, then take a nap.”  
“As if I could fall asleep with this,” Gavin mumbled under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut. It felt like someone was trying to ram an ice pick right above his eye into his skull to stab at his frontal lobe, but in both eyes and he was pretty sure he still had a healthy sense of fear. “Some meds would be nice, yeah. Even better if I OD on them.”  
“I would not let that happen, Detective.” Was it just Gavin, or did Nines’ voice sound almost sharper?

Shit, here comes another wave of nausea.

Nines said nothing when the human gripped its wrist to help ground himself, only monitored his breathing and determined that the best method of approach was to gently lay its hand on Gavin’s other arm to enforce that they were stable, as its research noted that concussions can make people feel like everything is spinning. 

After Gavin’s hand loosened, Nines rose from its spot on the bed to bring a trash can next to it in case he did actually throw up before fetching him the required pills and a glass of water.

Gavin took them without complaint, hardly even registering that Nines had gently forced a melatonin gummy into his mouth for him to chew. He curled up tight in fetal position, groaning to himself as Nines tucked him in and replaced the rag. The sun was trying to shine bright into the bedroom, but the android had shuttered the blinds tightly and made a mound out of some of the pillows and blankets to provide extra shadows.  
“Rest well, Detective,” Nines said softly, sitting on the other side of the barrier and reclining against the headboard, his scanners tuned in to Gavin’s vitals.  
A little stasis never hurt anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to put a little thank you note to my friends who kept encouraging me and keeping my spirits up while I struggled to write this chapter. You guys bolstered me and carried me to the finish line. Your support means a lot to me, @gaysandbooks, @celexdraw, @DeviantAlicee and @the-exploding-toaster (all on Tumblr :3)!

**Author's Note:**

> You actually suffered through the whole thing? You really read everything and got to the bottom?  
> Unless you furiously scrolled downward. (Valid.)  
> Either way, thank you for stopping by! I'm hoping to make this something I'll be proud of and look back on fondly in a few years.


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